Scholars and
practitioners concerned with young people and their literature can acquire
a greater understanding of that literature and its role in the lives of
children by studying both the history of childhood
and the history of children's literature. The historical context
should include a reading of both popular and classical literature to appreciate the contributions
of early authors and illustrators. Periodicals and textbooks also played an important
role in the history of this literature and reveal a great deal about perceptions
of children and young people over time.

There are many
anthologies that contain selections of historical children's
literature as an introduction to this topic, but the handling of original materials, even if they are inexpensive editions,
offers a sensitivity to what children held in their hands at the time
and often we find small treasures they left behind (signatures, autograph
rhymes, pressed flowers, clippings, etc.) To add a dimension to experiencing
the original book, visit the Antiquarian Book page and the Children's Literature Special Collections Page.